Sukshma Yoga and Yoga Cleansing – YV08
YOGA VILLE 2008 Highlights: Shatkarmas and Sukshma Yoga
SHATKARMAS: yogic cleansing
Wrong diet and wrong living habits cause a build-up of toxins and impurities in the body tissues and block the body’s channels. The aim of many of Hatha Yoga techniques is to unblock the channels to revitalize and purify the body. The yogi detoxifies the body, keep it clean, healthy and vibrant with energy by practicing the shatkarmas (the six cleansing techniques).
The aim of the shatkarmas is to create harmony of pranic flows, thereby attaining physical and mental purification and balance. The shatkarmas area also used to balance the three doshas or humours in the body: kapha – mucus, pitta – bile and vata – wind. According to both ayurveda (the science of life and healing) and Hatha Yoga, an imbalance of the doshas will result in illness. Everyday we clean ourselves by brushing teeth, washing the face, bathing the body, etc.. These are external karmas. But internal cleansing to remove the toxins accumulated by wrong way of living is more important. Hatha Yoga prescribes the following six methods to keep ourselves healthy:
Shatkarmas – Yoga cleansing techniques
1. Neti – nasal cleansing
2. Kunjal – digestive tract cleansing / Shankaprakshalana – intestinal wash
3. Basti – colon cleansing
4. Nauli – intestinal cleansing
5. Trataka – cleansing for development of concentration power
6. Kapalabhati – purification and vitalization of the frontal lobes of the brain
Beneits of Shatkarmas:
1. Helps to develop immunity by eliminating the toxins;
2. Stimulates the mind and aids in removing lethargy (tamas);
3. Washes to colon, sinus tracts the stomach, etc;
4. Provides a messaging effect to the area applied thereby stimulating the effective working of the organs.
5. Stimulates vitality and helps in retardation of ageing;
6. One’s capacity to think, digest, taste, feel express etc., increases and a greater awareness develops.
SUKSHMA VYAYAMAA: Subtle Yoga
Sukshma Vyayamaa is the only system of exercises in the world where each and every part of the body including each organ, each joint and each muscle is taken into consideration, and a particular exercise or set of excercises associated with a specific type of breathing in a specific type of position with a specific point of mental concentration is prescribed, literally “from top to toe” is the coverage of the entire sequence which is something very unique in the entire world, in the past, present and possibly the future too.
So the Sukshma Vyayamaa as is implied by the name, is meant for the subtle body or Sukshma Sarira. As per the yogic philosophical tradition there are five bodies for every individual – the physical and the subtle: the annamaya sarira, pranamaya sareera, manomaya sareera, vigyanamaya sareera and anandamaya sareera. So, Sukshma Vyayamaa deals with the second level, that is the subtle body or the pranamaya sareera.
The main features or components of Sukshma Vyayamaa are (1) breathing (2) concentration point (3) actual exercise.
The benefits once again are immense and are direct and immediate. Within a month of regular practice, it will lead to development of extraordinary levels of capabilities and faculties of various aspects of the personalities both mental and physical.
For those who have maladies and problems of different kind, Sukshma Vyayamaa alone is capable of curing and preventing, and increasing the strength and vigour of different organs and systems in the body.
祛風姿勢是一組練習，它從體內釋放出風和濁氣。 祛風姿勢系列非常簡單，然而，對調節在印度稱之為體液的痰（kaf）、風（vat）、酸或膽汁（pitta）最為有效。按照被稱為阿育吠陀（ayurveda）的古代醫學，這三種體液控制人體的一切功能，如果這些功能發生任何異常，人體的代謝就會出現負反應，疾病產生。風不僅指腸胃濁氣，而且包括人體每一關節處形成的風，因為由於人體內不正確的化學反應，發生了風濕病和強直。酸或膽汁既指消化必須的汁也指尿酸這類東西，必須有規律的把它排出。倘若人體的該系統內有過多的酸，某些器官就會發生功能不良。
祛風姿勢練習將有助於把過多的風和酸從體內，尤其是從關節內排出。這些練習對恢復期病人、久病衰弱的病人和移動四肢和身體有困難的人都有用。長期臥床之後，可以用這些練習柔和的重新訓練肌肉。它們對緩解各種類型的肌肉毛病也有效。
祛風姿勢系列的練習可分成兩個截然不同的組：抗風濕組和抗胃病組。
抗風濕練習將有益地影響人體的不同關節和器官。雖然它們似乎十分簡單，但對練習者有微妙的作用。這組練習梵文稱之為sukshma vyayama，意思是微妙的練習。
這組練習應該在每日瑜伽姿勢練習階段進行，以放鬆關節，使肌肉柔軟。目的是供初學者、病弱的人、心臟病人、高血壓病人和身體過於強直不能做其他姿勢的人。
